New opportunities promise enhanced benefits

Summer is coming to an end, and while some were enjoying their Hawaiian cruises, the PC/104 Consortium was busy moving embedded standards forward. The technical committee has been working on revisions to the PCI/104-Express and PCIe/104 specification that will open new opportunities for Consortium members. I cannot release any details at this early stage, but you can be assured that like all PC/104 Consortium specifications, the revisions will be well researched, technically sound, and consistent with all other Consortium specifications. The specifications will need to be approved by the voting members, and I expect they will be ready for release by early 2011.

The PC/104 Consortium has received an offer from a component manufacturer to post a reference design on our website. This is something the board has discussed several times in the past, but it is the first time that someone actually offered to deliver a design. The board sees this as a chance to enhance member benefits while giving component manufacturers a way to get reference designs in the hands of PC/104 Consortium members.

The technical committee will develop a set of rules for the reference design, and the marketing committee will work out the details of how it will appear on the Consortium website. The board fully endorses having reference designs on our website and hopes other component manufacturers will elect to join the Consortium and provide their reference designs as well. It is a great opportunity for component manufacturers and will provide a benefit for members. This is truly a win-win situation.

In addition to the reference design project, the marketing committee has been working on several white papers and articles, investigating other trade show opportunities, and reviewing our website to continue making incremental progress.

If you have not visited the PC/104 Consortium website at www.pc104.org lately, I encourage you to do so. It is the portal for PC/104 information. You can keep abreast of the latest specifications for free and check out the improved product section, where you can search by specification, member company name, product type, or keyword. The product directory includes a picture, description, hot links, and company contact info for each product. It contains many more products and companies than in the past, and they are easier to find. If your company does not have its products listed here, you are missing a great benefit of Consortium membership.

It is very important that the PC/104 Embedded Consortium present a clear and focused presence of PC/104 technology to avoid confusion in the marketplace. We must protect the Consortium’s trademarks, copyrights, and IP for our members’ benefit. We will continue to monitor technological advancements for possible inclusion into the PC/104 architecture.

The PC/104 Consortium has maintained open communications with members through its open member forum at every board meeting and by keeping technical and marketing committees open to voting and nonvoting members (as observers). If you are interested in participating in the PC/104 Embedded Consortium or on a committee, contact Jeff Milde at the PC/104 Consortium office.